At least ten people, including a five-month-old baby, have died and more than 270 others have been hospitalised after sewage-contaminated drinking water triggered a severe diarrhoea outbreak in Indore, a city that has been officially ranked India’s cleanest for the past eight consecutive years. The incident has raised serious questions about urban water safety and governance, despite the city’s reputation for cleanliness and waste management.
The outbreak occurred in Bhagirathpura, a densely populated, lower-income neighbourhood of Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Residents said they had complained for months about foul-smelling tap water, but their warnings were allegedly ignored by authorities. The situation escalated this week when large numbers of people began arriving at hospitals with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and high fever.
Indore mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava confirmed that at least ten deaths were linked to the outbreak, attributing it to sewage mixing with the city’s drinking water supply. He said contamination had occurred in the main pipeline leading from a water tank. While local media reports suggested the death toll could be as high as 15, officials have not formally confirmed a higher figure. At least 32 patients remain in intensive care units.
State chief minister Mohan Yadav said health teams conducted door-to-door surveys and identified 2,456 suspected cases. These individuals were provided immediate medical assistance at home to prevent further escalation. Authorities believe the contamination was caused by a public toilet constructed directly above a drinking water pipeline without a septic tank, allowing sewage to seep into the supply.
Medical officials said laboratory tests confirmed the presence of bacteria typically found in sewer water containing human waste. The five-month-old infant who died had reportedly been bottle-fed using tap water. His father, Sunil Sahu, said the family had filtered the water and received no warning that it was unsafe. He added that the same water supply was used across the neighbourhood.
Residents accused civic authorities of negligence and bureaucratic indifference. Indore municipal councillor Kamal Waghela said the incident appeared to be a clear case of gross dereliction of duty. Several municipal officials have since been suspended, and an investigation has been ordered.
The tragedy has triggered political reactions as well. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government of negligence, stating that access to clean water is a fundamental right, not a favour. The state government has promised stricter rules and safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future, with the chief minister assuring that no stone would be left unturned.
Editorial commentary across the country has described the incident as a wake-up call for India’s water management systems. An editorial in *The Hindu* called for stronger enforcement of water safety guidelines and environmental laws, warning that alongside toxic air pollution, unsafe water is increasingly endangering public health.
The Indore crisis has also drawn attention to broader national concerns over water quality testing. Reports indicate that only a small proportion of public water-testing laboratories in major cities meet international accreditation standards, increasing the risk of undetected contamination and disease outbreaks as India’s urban population continues to grow.
Despite Indore’s accolades for cleanliness, the incident has exposed deep structural weaknesses in water infrastructure, oversight and accountability, underscoring the gap between visible sanitation achievements and the fundamental requirement of safe drinking water.